Just only a Game
by BabygirlandFin
Summary: There is a party and a common game is played. All are there like Brennan, Booth, Angela, Camille, Hodgins and Sweets.


**Disclaimer: All characters and basic concepts used in this story are the property of their respective owners.**

**I don't own nothing**

**They are used solely and only for entertainment purposes. A copyright infringement is not intended or implied.**

**Credit - a special thanks goes to - pink chocolate unicorn without you would not have been possible. I'm glad to have you by my side. Thank you**

**Chapter 1...**

"Hey Sweety. The party is in full swing!" Angela called out. "Where are you?" She looked around and saw her best friend just as she heard "In the office!" The voice had an undertone to it; Brennan didn't sound happy to be found. Angela tilted her head slightly askew and her friend answered the silent question.

"I do not want to party." Brennan leaned forward and the artist walked up to her. A hand landed on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Hey, Angela."

"Come on," Angela said, _this close _to begging. Brennan wanted to refuse still, but Angela knew how to skillfully play her friend. She could see Brennen's resolve crumbling and she redoubled her attack. "Come on! Just for a half hour. Just for me, not for any special FBI agents."

Brennan grumbled to herself but got up from the chair. "Alright. But _just_ a half hour." Angela nodded her assent and they left the office.

As they entered the lounge, loud music assaulted their ears; the party was in full swing. When Brennan saw 'Spin the Bottle' being played but the others, she felt rather uncomfortable.

She broke away from Angela and went to the buffet, thinking she could escape the game that way. She took a salad with cheese and cocktail sauce and sat down at the table. Angela sat next to her—that was probably not a good sign. There was a familiar expression on Angela's face and Brennan knew it never promised anything good.

"Eat first, Honey." Angela smiled knowingly and folded her hands into each other.

Brennan nodded and finally forked up some of the salad on the fork, not too much in the (no doubt futile) hope of drawing it out. Angela started on her own food, picking at a piece of baguette as well. Together they ate in companionable silence.

After dinner, Brennan they moved to one of the couches and watched Angela from afar. Brennan was different than most of the people there, but that did not bother her anymore.

Angela joined Brennan on the couch, taking a sip of her drink and asked if she wanted to play the game, nodding towards the circle of people.

Brennan rejected the offer immediately, "I don't play children's games," she said, waving her hands vehemently.

Angela grinned suggestively; she had an idea of how her friend could be swayed. She was not one to be denied when she set her mind to something.

Brennan repeatedly looked to the stairs, longingly, hoping she could find a moment to sneak out and go back down in her office. Finally seeing her moment, she carefully got up to make an immediate attempt. Angela, thankfully, had not noticed since she was rather engrossed in conversation with Cam.

Just as Brennan had reached the stairs, Booth popped up in front of her, blocking the way. "You're going already?" he asked her, grinning.

Brennan nodded. "All this—isn't my kind of thing. Plus, I have a lot of paperwork in my office."

Booth would not let her go so easily. He took a step towards her. "Hey, come on. This is a once-a-year party and you want to escape," he half-asked, half-said with shock.

"Yes," Brennan said, indignant and more than a little annoyed with Booth. "You know I don't like parties. And certainly not those—" She pointed over her shoulder, "Where they play children's games. "

She pointedly looked behind her to the small group who sat on the ground, a colleague on their knees and spinning a bottle on the floor. Angela had joined in the group and she nearly rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. She didn't begrudge her friend her fun, but she had no interest in indulging in similar endeavors.

But Booth was not one to admit defeat. "C'mon, stay. We'll play together. That'll be fun, surely." He smiled at her.

Slowly, she nodded, finally giving up. Booth was too stubborn, she knew he wouldn't give up until she'd given in. There were no more excuses to make; she had to play, for good or ill. She resigned herself to attend the stupid game.

"Can not it slip away go in my. Along the lines you did not see me, I'm gone. "

She turned to Booth, but he just grinned at her. "No, Bones! I'm sorry. This time you do not." He placed a hand gently on the small of her back and gently, but insistently, led her into the corner where the others were playing.

Brennan made a noise and Angela looked up, grinning. "Sweety! Your escape attempt failed, I see. Booth and I have denied us previously. We both know you very well. Too well." She raised her hand and reached for her friend.

Camille and Jack looked at Brennan in surprise and she had to suppress a laugh.

Reluctantly, Brennan sat next to Angela on the floor. Finally, once everyone was settled, a new game was started. Again and again Brennan rolled her eyes when she heard the rules.

_Basically, there was only one rule: the bottle lands on you, you kiss the person that spun it._

It was not at all to Brennan tastes.

For the longest time, she was lucky and the bottle had yet to point in her direction. But then it was Booth's turn to spin. The bottle ended up pointed directly at her.

Everyone went still and quiet, eagerly observing Brennanand Booth, waiting to see what, exactly, they would do now.

Sweets looked on, an eye for the subtle details (as usual).

Brennan looked at her longtime partner and swallowed. She knew exactly what was going to happen next and she felt her heart beat faster.

Booth leaned forward a little, smiling softly, and whispered "It's just a kiss, okay? It doesn't have to mean anything, alright?" His glance fell on Sweets and he nodded with a grin; he understood it.

Now the FBI agent looking back to Brennan. She looked ready to bolt. "It's just a kiss, Bones. Nothing serious and nothing will change between us." She nodded and leaned a little closer to him. He quickly pushed all other thoughts aside and brushed her lips, softly, with his own. First, it was a slow kiss but he was tender and demanding.

The others in the circle remained silent, stunned breathless when they saw how fondly the two kissed. It almost felt like they were intruding on a private moment…

As always, Sweets could not keep his mouth shut. "Just a kiss?" he snickered. "It looked to me... " he trailed off. No one was paying him any mind so he shut up, only slightly perturbed at being ignored.

Booth and Brennan didn't linger, breaking apart soon after. Because—it was just a kiss, nothing more. They all could think what they wanted. But for Booth was it not just a kiss; for him, it was _the_ kiss.

Brennan could not help it, her heart was still beating fast and she took several deep breaths in an effort to calm it.

Which did not escape the attention of Jack, Camille, and especially Angela. Her friend looked at Brennan with a knowing grin. "Well. Sweety, how was the kiss?"

Brennan cocked her head a little, feeling her cheeks get warm and trying to fight the blush. She flapped a hand dismissively, waving the question off skillfully. "Like any normal kiss." She shrugged her shoulders once more.

"You say it just like that," Angela flatly, not buying the cool dismissal for a second.

Booth sighed. "Man, Angela, still—be happy, okay? Bones wasn't holed up in her office so don't keep pestering her." He was a bit sour, but they _should_ be happy Bones sat with them and even joined in the fun.

Then, it was Brennan's turn to spin the bottle. Inside, she hoped the phone would ring with a new case and putting a stop to the nonsense.

But, of course, that didn't happen. Now, her only remaining hope was that she didn't want to kiss. She internally hoped it would land on Angela or even Booth again. Angela would probably understand and play along, after all, they've been best friends for years.

The bottle spun wobbily, finally slowing. Brennan could no longer look and closed her eyes in fear, hoping that it would slow on Cam. Or, at least, just not Sweets.

After a few seconds of silence, she opened peeked open one eye, sneaking a glance. She blinked, her eyes opening fully. The bottle continued spinning.

Even Sweets held his curious mouth.

Camille grinned just like Jack.

Seeley Booth had put on a smile, but the smile was one she could not accurately interpret.

And, lastly, she looked to her best friend who looked very surprised. Brennan's inner wish was fulfilled, apparently, because the bottle was pointed directly Angela. She carefully crawled across the circle over to her friend.

Angela smiled sweetly. "That bad is not that I think I have the ever behind me." But Brennan was the moment quite different in the stomach, this would be the first real kiss with a woman.

She watched her best friend, her gaze moved back and forth, trying to read her friends eyes for any hints of what she was thinking. She didn't know why she was nervous; this wasn't some stranger, but Angela—her best friend.

Angela could practically read Brennan's thoughts, see the worry and trepidation there. She leaned in closer, their mouths only a few centimeters apart. "Don't worry, sweetheart," she said softly. "It's only me: your best friend."

They both moved in closer and closer, until there was no more space between them and finally they kissed.

Booth watched them and swallowed, it was really a funny picture. He looked over to Sweets and saw that he was doing the same. Also Hodgins had been holding his breath, watching the spectacle right next to an equally enthralled Camille.

At first, the kiss was gentle; just a press of lips, without tongue. But it didn't take long for Angela to gently prod at the seam of Brennan's lips with her tongue, huffing softly with pleasure and triumph when Brennan was quick to give in to the silent demand.

It seemed like time just stopped, both of them absorbed in the other until there was only _her_. Just her. They pulled apart just enough to make the kiss playful, tongues peeking out before they dove back into the kiss.

The others in the circle watched, some of them leaning this way or that way for a better view of the pair. Sweets kept looking between Booth and Hodgins, checking on their reactions.

He sighed softly and shifted closer to them, sitting between them. "I see it. You don't like this," he said, gesturing discreetly to the still kissing women. "Seeing them, kissing like that, Agent Booth."

Booth swallowed but forced a smile and waved the words off. "It's nothing," he said airily. "It's just a game, okay? They're only kissing because it's how to play Spin the Bottle." He glanced over at Sweets who was shaking his head, a pouting a little in thought.

"Up until ten minutes ago, I would have thought that, too," Sweets said, thoughtful. He pointed at Brennan and Angela, still kissing. "But this? This kiss is a little too long to just be a fun kid's game." He turned when he heard a shaky sigh come from both women, they'd finally pulled away from each other and were staring at each other.

Identical expressions of anxiety, shyness but curiously on their faces. Not to mention a fair amount of interest.

None of those present said anything as the women separated, everyone going on with things like nothing had happened.

Sliding backwards, Brennan slipped back into her place and the game continued. But really, her interest in the game was long gone. And she could guess the others were thinking the same thing, judging by the complete lack of exciement and fun that had been in the game moments ago.

With attention now off her, Brennan made another attempt to leave… This time, successfully sneaking out of the room and back to her office without anyone knowing or stopping her. She heaved a quiet sigh of relief, closing her eyes, thankful that she'd managed to avoid any awkward questions.

Of course, her absence didn't go unnoticed for long.

Angela looked around for her friend. Brennan wasn't anywhere she could see, not in the lounge, at least, which left one option; Bones was holed up in her office.

She made her way there, thinking about how to handle things. She worried for the reason Brennan was hiding… She had definitely noticed how uncomfortable Brennan was right after they kissed… And that kiss. It had been different than she'd been expecting. Nothing usual or 'casual' about it. She had a feeling it was that kiss that had triggered something… Something that hadn't been there before, she was quite sure.

Brennan found it difficult to ignore the feelings still lingering after the kiss. She sat down at her desk and wrote a few lines, looking up when there was a soft knock on her office door.

She immediately knew immediately who it was and continued to look to her desktop. She kept her eyes on her paper when she heard the door squeak open and Angel's soft, tentative footsteps shuffle quietly across the carpet.

She didn't look up when she saw Angela perch on the corner of her desk in her peripherals, knowing Angela was looking at her.

Brennan, however, simply wrote on. Not that she could contrite… Not with Angela there, silent and watchful. Not with Angela's rear right there, right in front of her.

Angela just looked at Brennan, knowing exactly what her friend was doing. She tried not to let it bother her, so she shifted to a more comfortable position and continued watching Brennan.

She crossed her arms, patience running out. When Brennan still refused to look up, she cleared her throat loudly. Coughing into her fist until—finally—she was no longer ignored and Brennan looked up at her.

"We need to talk," Angela said, trying to keep her tone light. She didn't bother using any nicknames, it didn't feel appropriate in this situation, Angela decided.

Brennan slowly looked up. But, really, she had no idea what to say. "I know. I- I set my—" she broke off, words a tangled mess in her mouth. She looked up helplessly, lost for words, something that was so unusual for her it itself was enough to upset her. She _always_ found the right words.

Even the otherwise eloquent artist wondered exactly what to say. After all, she did not want to lose her friend. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to lie. Or scare you. But..." She took a short break and then sat down again, "I found the kiss great." She looked to Brennan, meeting her eyes with an easy smile.

Brennan began to smile; that was exactly what she felt deep inside as well.

But they were friends, should there really be more now? Again, she tried to find the right words. Eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. "I think we should really talk." She stood up slowly to go sit next to her friend. Angela smiled.

It hit her hard, just how scared she was of losing her friend, just how badly she wanted to forget all this instead of risk everything. She sat down where she could look her best friend, took a deep breath and worked out how to tell her just what she had felt at the kiss.

Angela beat her to it, though. "I don't know how it felt to you—the kiss—but I must admit it felt like I had butterflies in my stomach… Like we were floating above it all, above everyone and everything, like it was just us."

That was exactly what Brennan had felt as well. She could agree right now, tell the truth and see where it took her… Or she could say it was the biggest mistake of her life. Both had a bit of truth to them. She couldn't regret the kiss; just the possibility of ruining their friendship because of it.

But. Just how long should she run away from her feelings? So now, it was time to finally face them.

She took a deep breath and looked at Angela. "I think—No, I _know_ I felt the same things you did."

Angela felt relieved, surprised, elated. She slowly reached out to take Brennan's hand, rubbing her thumb along the back of it. But Brennan was staring at her lap. She gently squeezed the hand in hers, "Look at me, please." Slowly, Brennan raised her head and looked into her eyes.

She smiled and asked openly. "What does this all mean? How do we go on from here?"

**To be Continued?**


End file.
